


It's Just a Cold...

by Arixese



Series: Tumblr Requests [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Brief description of illness, Chest Cold, F/M, Tsundere Papyrus, Underfell, Worried Papyrus, sick reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-18 01:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11280993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arixese/pseuds/Arixese
Summary: Request from kawaiiassassino on Tumblr:"Hello! Do you mind writing a fluffy fic with a Fem! Reader being sick with a bad fever and Underfell! Paps taking care of her while also being greatly concerned? I'm just sick at the moment and would appreciate it greatly. Have a good day! *hugs*"His human has fallen ill? This will not stand; as their mate, it is his duty to see that they're given the best care... The question is: how does he do that?





	It's Just a Cold...

You woke up to a nagging itch in the back of your throat, and your eyelids fought to stay closed as you sat up in bed. Whenever time  it was, it had to be at latest the early morning, the absence of electric lights outside your window indicating that it was still nighttime in the underground. Papyrus’s arm was wrapped loosely around your waist, and you could vaguely hear the light whistle of his breathing. His brows knitted together in his sleep and you could see his leg twitch under the blankets. It was admittedly very adorable. Your hand moved to pat the side of his skull, only to desperately cover your mouth to contain a sudden explosion of hacking and wheezing. 

“Agh…” You winced as you felt your throat tense and inflame. Swallowing only made it worse, a prickly lump forming in the back of your neck. It felt like you swallowed a small cactus in your sleep. You wheezed softly as you unraveled your mate’s arm from your waist, swinging your legs over the side of the mattress to find purchase on the carpet beneath your feet. You grimaced at the bedside; you really didn't want to get up. But, your throat... You felt so thirsty, it was driving you insane. There’s no way you’d be able to ignore it, no matter how badly your body ached and pleaded to burrow yourself back in Papyrus’s arms. A tall glass of water, yeah, that’s all you need.

“Nnng… Human?” You stopped as you heard the bed shift. You could see Papyrus's eyes slowly come to focus as he stirred from the bed, sitting upright with a perplexed grimace. “Where are you going at such an ungodly hour? Come back to bed.” You smirked wryly for a moment; funny for him to be saying that, considering how he used to detest more than a three hour nap until the two of you became an item, a desire for sleep and gentle cuddling being one of your compromises. Did not seem to bother him for long, once he acclimated to a sleep schedule.

“Just need some-” You burst into a fit of wheezes and coughs, your back shaking and doubled over from the strain. You felt the bed shift violently behind you.

“Human?” His voice quickly lost its edge of sleep, instantly replaced with a distinct note of worry. You barely sounded like yourself, at all; instead, it came out all coarse and raspy, not unlike the froggits you used to come across in Toriel’s catacombs. Your throat felt like it was on fire, your words grating on your vocal cords like broken glass. Reality hit you right then and there, and your hand flew to your neck; you could feel your lymph nodes swelling up.

“It's nothing,” you insisted before surrendering to another coughing fit. The lamp on Papyrus's nightstand made you wince as it clicked on without warning, your eyes dilating as the light vaguely burned under your eyelids. You felt his hand smooth over you back as you doubled over coughing and wheezing. You cracked your eyes open and saw Papyrus frown deeply through your quickly watering eyes.

“It’s obviously not ‘nothing’,” Papyrus asserted as he pulled you closer to him on the bed to examine you further.

“I’m fine,” you insisted as his fingers began to prod at your skin, at the small bags forming under your eyes, at the layer of sweat you had  _ just  _ noticed forming on your brow. “Just a cold, that's all.”

“Human, you’re burning up,” Papyrus said as he laid his hand on your forehead. “You can't expect me to believe that this is ‘cold’ for you.” 

"Pfft..! Heheheh..." Oh, God, it really hurt to laugh, but you stuttered out a coarse chuckle, anyway. Papyrus winced at the sound. “You sound horrible.”

“Oh, gee, thanks,” you muttered sarcastically before sneezing loudly. “Ugh..” You sniffed and ran your hand through your hair, sweeping it out of your face. “I think I’m getting sick…”

“Sick?” Papyrus’s eyes widened considerably. “You mean you’ve fallen ill?” You yelped as Papyrus lunged out of bed for his phone and started dialing. You cocked your head at him in confusion; does he seriously think someone will answer at this time of night?  “I’m calling Alphys,” he explained, and you bristled in alarm. Papyrus squawked when you suddenly shot up after him, dragging his arm down before he could finish the number. He strained against your grip as you held on for dear life, even as you felt your toes skim the floor as he lifted you up in short bursts. “Human, unhand me!”

“Then stop being so… reckless,” you shouted between coughs. Papyrus cursed as he let you down, instead passing his cell to the other hand and holding it up out of your reach. You stopped trying to leap for it after a moment, and you let your arm fall at your side with a huff. You grimaced at the stain in your voice before explaining yourself. “Papyrus, just put the phone down; you're overreacting.” 

“No, I’m not,” Papyrus protested. “You're my mate; it's my job to ensure that you are looked after.”

You glared at Papyrus as you set your hands on your hips. “So, you think Alphys can do a better job than you can? Papyrus snapped his mouth shut at the insinuation, and you felt his arm relax in your grip. 

“Of course not,” he said quickly, and you let out a small breath of relief. Alphys is a sweetheart when you get to know her, but, well, despite her good intentions… You wouldn't be surprised if she tried to cut you open just to figure out what's wrong with you. “So, how bad is this illness? You're not in any danger, are you?”

You smiled and shook your head. “No, it's nothing like that; it's just a little chest cold, that's all. I’ll be better in no time… Especially since I have the Great and Terrible Papyrus looking after me,” you added with a wink, and Papyrus's face started turning red with pride.

“Okay, then…” you yelped as Papyrus scooped you off of the floor before depositing you gently back in bed, pulling the blankets up to cover you comfortably. “You rest here, and I’ll get something for your throat.You wanted water, correct?” You nodded gently as you adjusted yourself under the blankets. Papyrus paused a moment in the doorway before swiveling on his heel towards you, pointing a finger at you accusingly. “I’m going to heat up some spaghetti for you, too, and I expect you to eat all of it, got that?”

“Yes, sir.” You brought up your hand in a mock salute as Papyrus walked out the door, beyond your line of sight. You burrowed yourself deeper in bed as you heard a faint clamor from the kitchen. You let your head fall back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Your body still ached, and your throat felt like it wanted to tear itself up from the inside out, but you couldn't help but smile all the same.

“Papyrus!,” you called loudly.

“Yes, Human?!”

“Love you!!” 

You snickered as you heard the vague sound of Papyrus’s blustering under his breath as his footsteps began to march up the stairs. His face was entirely scarlet when he walked back in the bedroom. “Here.” You took the glass from Papyrus's hands and thankfully guzzled down your water. “Now get some rest while I prepare your food,” he grumbled as he started to turn back to the living room, but stopped and looked back at your hand grasping his wrist tightly. “You need something else?” You responded by opening your arms with a smile.

“I’d like a hug, please!”

“Human, please. I'm trying to help you get your strength up,” Papyrus reasoned. “A good meal is far more beneficial to that end, don't you agree?” You shook your head adamantly. Papyrus sighed before sitting alongside you on the bed, allowing you to throw your arms around him, pressing a firm kiss to the side of his skull.

“Seriously, thank you for worrying so much about me, Papyrus,” you mumbled into his shoulder as you felt his hands smooth over your back. “It means a lot. And I'm not just teasing you about it.”

Papyrus chuckled into your ear. “Well, like I said, Human, it's my duty to take care of you. I’ll get you back up on your feet in no time.” You hummed softly as you let your eyes fall shut. It was comfortable in his arms, despite his rigid bones. Maybe you had just grown used to it after all this time. Yeah, maybe… Your mind drifted into a dim haze. You vaguely felt Papyrus press the surface of his teeth lightly into your shoulder.

* * *

The noisy din of Snowdin Town woke you up this time. Your eyes squinted in the bright glow of lampposts and fairy lights flooding in your window as you slowly sat upright. You pressed your palm to your temple with a grimace as a headache started to set in. “...Papyrus?” You looked to your side and smiled at the skeleton sprawled out next to you, asleep on top of the covers in his Guard armor, no less. You should really record him when he's asleep, one of these days; that little whistle he does is one of the most precious things ever.

A loud, abrupt sneeze derailed your train of thought. Ugh, you need a tissue… You turned to swivel out of bed, again, when you saw a small assortment of items on the dresser, one of which, thankfully, being a box of tissues. You sprang at the opportunity to blow your nose before you took the time to inspect the rest of the care package: a couple of filled water bottles, a couple more boxes of tissue, a Tupperware container lined with foil, some ibuprofen, and a folded over note poking out underneath it all. You grabbed one of the bottles to gulp some more water down to read the note, written in all caps with Papyrus's distinct handwriting.

“HUMAN,” the note began, “YOU FELL ASLEEP BEFORE I COULD GET YOUR MEAL READY, SO I TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO BRING IT UPSTAIRS TO ENJOY LATER. INCLUDED ARE SOME OTHER ITEMS SANS TELLS ME YOU WILL NEED FOR A FULL RECOVERY. REPORTEDLY, HE KNOWS SOMEONE WITH A DISTINCT KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN ILLNESS. SUPPOSE I’LL HAVE TO THANK HIM ONCE HIS ADVICE PROVES USEFUL. IN THE MEANTIME, MAKE SURE TO TAKE IT EASY, TODAY, AND GET BETTER. YOU KNOW I TYPICALLY DO NOT ABIDE LAZINESS, BUT I SHALL MAKE AN EXCEPTION. YOURS, THE GREAT PAPYRUS.”

Your face glowed a bright pink; you could not smile wider as you read the note, warm and loving, yet distinctly Papyrus. You picked up the Tupperware sitting on the dresser and lifted one of the foil corners. Unfortunately, you couldn't smell, much, but it looked delicious, and you were surprised to find how it still felt warm in your hands. You re-covered the spaghetti and put it back on top of the dresser; you weren't quite hungry, yet. Instead, you hopped back onto the bed and pulled yourself closer to Papyrus's sleeping body, draping your arm over his rib cage as you nestled into the crook of his arm. 

“Good night, Sweetheart…”


End file.
